Field
One or more example embodiments relate to methods of manufacturing cartridges for aerosol-generating systems. In at least some example embodiments, the cartridges are provided with an electrical resistor having a customizable electrical resistance indicative of the aerosol-forming medium stored in the cartridge.
Description of Related Art
Electronic vaping (or e-vaping) devices have a modular construction and may include a replaceable cartridge with a storage component for holding an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-forming substrate comprised in the cartridge may vary considerably in composition, flavour, strength or other characteristics. Adult vapers may wish to interchange cartridges at will. However, more optimum vaporization conditions may depend on the composition of the aerosol-forming substrate included in the cartridges. By identifying the replaceable cartridge or the aerosol-forming substrate stored in the cartridge, the control settings of the vaporization equipment may be changed to adapt the vaporization unit to the particular or specific aerosol-forming substrate chosen by an adult vaper.
A replaceable cartridge of an aerosol generator may include one or more electrical components for distinguishing the cartridge from other cartridges. The electrical components may be one or more electrical resistors, capacitances or inductances. The aerosol generator may also be able to determine the electrical resistance of the one or more electrical components. The aerosol generator may further include a look-up table stored in a memory, and in which the characteristics of the electrical components are associated with data identifying the respective cartridge. In order to allow for distinguishing between different cartridges a plurality of electrical components may be used.
In a manufacturing method for the cartridge discussed above, the electrical components must be provided to the cartridges during assembly, and before the cartridges are tilled with the aerosol-forming substrate. Thus, the electrical components must be determined and/or predefined prior to or during the assembly stage, and before the respective aerosol-forming substrate is provided to the cartridge. This sequential manufacturing method may reduce flexibility of the cartridge production process. Additionally, a number of different electrical components (e.g., a number of different resistors) must be provided to equip the plurality of cartridges with their particular or specific and unambiguous combination of resistors during assembly, which may increase manufacturing costs.